


Across the Universes

by szczepter



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Alternative Universe - Mermaids, M/M, Meet-Cute, alternative universes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 00:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10955499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szczepter/pseuds/szczepter
Summary: A collection of KagaKuroko AU drabbles and ficlets which didn't warrant a separate fic post





	1. The deep blue sea

**Author's Note:**

> for #mermay, I saw this a lot on tumblr with drawings and I wanted to contribute somehow. 
> 
> I already have a longer, multichapter fic about Mermaid Kuroko, so decided to play around with Kagami's version too.

At first Tetsuya thought it was a whale.

He blamed the early morning sun which shined so brightly it was hard to look. He saw a tail on the horizon, breaking the water surface and he quickly snapped a photo, afraid it would be gone in a moment.

By this time, he thought the whale was a bit small. Maybe it was a young one?

Kuroko took another picture of the tail and then blinked in surprise when he saw that the color of the scales was that of deep crimson.

He shook his head, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him and he strolled along the empty beach, while still observing the horizon.

He didn't saw the tail for a longer while when it disappeared under the water and so he figured the whale must have hid from view or turned away.

And then when he looked again, after he took a few photos of the cliffs, his eyes widened when he saw a person.

At first he thought someone was drowning and he was ready to drop everything and jump in to the rescue, but then the person took a dive and instead of legs, Kuroko saw the familiar, crimson tail at the other side.

He almost did drop his camera then, but instead he started on a mad dash along the beach. He saw the movement under the water while he was running and instantly figured out where the creature would be heading.

He reached the flat, big rocks which reached out into the water. He was first, surprisingly, and he stood there panting, observing the water while it rippled as the creature neared closer.

Tetsuya could see it now under the surface and finally realized, with a thudding heart that he couldn’t be sure if it would be peaceful or would it attack him.

The mermaid reached the rocks and then broke the surface and showed itself to Tetsuya in its whole glory.

Well, _half_ of it, since his tail was hidden under water.

Tetsuya opened his mouth but he didn't know what to say, too fascinated with the sigh before him. He took in the red hair and eyes, clearly matching the tail. The gills on the mermaid’s neck were opening and closing gently.

His human half was that of an, athletic and kind of attractive young man, covered in slight, barely noticeable stripes, that Tetsuya was able to see only because he breathed deeply and they gleamed slightly in the sun.

Tetsuya felt his face turn hot in shame for a moment. It was rude to stare at someone like that, even they were a mermaid.

Well merman.

Kuroko noticed that the...creature slipped a bit under water while they were staring at each other like this and he had to smile in slight relief.

One, because he still wasn't attacked (he only hoped it would continue, because he didn't force the mermaid to show itself to him) and two, because it was clear that it was also fascinated with Tetsuya.

"Hello." Tetsuya finally spoke and crouched on the rocks to peer at the creature. "My name is Kuroko. You don't have to be afraid of me."

The mermaid scoffed then and swam a bit to the side.

"What makes you think I am." He said, but Tetsuya could hear that he was putting on a front. Interesting. He could clearly break him in half if he wanted to, but he is _still_ afraid of a human.

Kuroko bit his lip.

"Are you a mermaid? I'm sorry I have never seen one before."

The creature frowned.

"That's a human name."

"Well, how do you call yourself then?"

"You wouldn't be able to say it."

Kuroko rolled his eyes.

"Well, how am I supposed to address you then?"

The merman hesitates.

"Taiga."

"Nice to meet you Taiga-kun." Kuroko says and the merman gives a huff. He has to smile at that. None of the books said the mere folk could be this _grumpy_.

"What brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?" His village is not a very lively place for sea creatures which aren’t food. The nearest lagoon is probably miles away and Kuroko is in no way able to visit one.

The merman hesitates and then his face turns pink.

"I'm...lost." He says and swims away a bit. Kuroko bites his lip as he observes all of his. The unusual body language and the way he speaks. It's all so _human_.

"I see."

Silence.

"Would you like me too show you the way back?"

Taiga-kun hesitates and then nods.

"Yeah."

Kuroko explains the way back to the open sea and how to avoid ships and shallows. Taiga-kun nods as he listens to him and Kuroko feels slightly uneasy under his gaze.

"You should be home in no time."

"Yeah...thanks." He says as an afterthought. He gives Kuroko a quick glance over his shoulder and then dives back.

Kuroko sees his crimson tail for a moment and then gasps when a rain of droplets hits him in the face.

Before he recovers, Taiga-kun is long since gone.

Tetsuya sighs and takes a picture of the shore.

 

* * *

 

The next day Tetsuya went to the beach as always.

He didn’t kid himself that he would meet the creature once again. In all honesty it all felt like a dream or a mirage. Maybe it was. Maybe Tetsuya spend too much time in the sun without a hat.

He strolled over the seashore, taking pictures and throwing a bit of bread to the seagulls.

It was a nice morning. There still were no ships visible even far away on the horizon. Good. Tetsuya hoped it would stay that way. He liked the peace and quiet of his village and this beach.

His eye caught a movement and his breath held when he recognized a familiar crimson shine.

The mermaid from yesterday wasn’t a dream or a mirage. It was _real_ and it was in the bay again.

Tetsuya took off his shoes and tucked his camera safely under his shirt in its holder and made his way to the rocks.

The merman saw him and hid under water, never even making it ripple.

When Tetsuya sat down on the rocks, he resurfaced up to his shoulders.

“Hello.” Tetsuya said, his heart beating excitedly. “Are you lost again?”

The merman snorted.

“Hardly.”

Tetsuya had to grin a bit. He was getting more comfortable with him.

“What brings you here then? There aren’t exactly any lagoons around.”

Taiga eyed him warily.

“You know a lot about my kind.”

“I read a lot.”

The merman hummed and swished his tail under water. Tetsuya could see how it the pattern on it – it looked like tiger stripes – dimmed and shined with the movement.

“I’m here because-” He said suddenly and then stopped. He looked over his shoulder. “Wait here.”

Tetsuya tilted his head and watched as the merman dove and made his way to the small alcove created by different rocks near the shore.

He waited patiently until the creature returned, swimming slower than usual.

"Here." He reached his hand in Tetsuya's direction and the boy did the same.

Something was dropped into his palm and he looked at it curiously.

Tetsuya looked at the object, but he couldn't make out what it was. The shape was oval and it was smooth and hard. It shined a bit in the sun.

He turned it around a few times in his fingers.

"Thank you...What is it?"

The merman splashed his tail under water and stayed silent and spoke after a long moment.

"A gift."

Tetsuya raised an eyebrow.

"That I know. What's its purpose?"

The merman was silent for a moment.

"Let's just say it was someone's home once."

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"Did you kill it?"

Taiga looked at him as if he was mad.

"Of course not? It didn't need it anymore. I know you humans like shiny things like these."

"Oh." Tetsuya felt relieved. It wasn't a shell and it didn't look like something known to biology. He probably had a part of unknown spices in his hands. He could give to the university in town and make sure they expanded their already vast, human knowledge.

He could. But he didn't want to.

"Thank you." He repeated and wanted to hide the object in his pocket before he got an idea. He put the thing on a rock shelf and took out his camera from under his shirt. He took a few pictures.

The merman was looking at him curiously.

"That's a-"

"Camera. I know. I'm not that stupid."

Kuroko couldn't help but smile.

"You know a lot about humans as well."

The merman swished his tail under water again.

"I have...experience."

He said it in such a way that cut off all of Tetsuya's further that questions he could have had on his tongue. It was obvious that the experience wasn't good.

"I'll go now." The merman said. "The current is good."

Tetsuya nodded disappointed. It was probably a long way back to his lagoon.

"Goodbye." Tetsuya said and the merman gave him a nod and then looked like he hesitated for a moment.

It was just a moment though, because once he saw Tetsuya noticed he disappeared under water and didn't appeared until he was far away from the shore.

 

* * *

 

"I'm beginning to think you're not really lost." Tetsuya said and put down his bag on the rock and sat down.

The crimson merman appeared from behind the rocks, a few feet away and swam slowly up to Kuroko.

He looked disgruntled and also annoyed and embarrassed when he realized he was found out.

He didn't say anything, but reached a hand in Tetsuya's direction and dropped something in his palm again.

This time it was round and swirly and looked like no shell Tetsuya was familiar with.

This continued for the following days.

Taiga-kun would be there as early as around dawn and would have another gift for Kuroko, something which he never seen before. Tetsuya would ask him about it and the merman would try and explain, but for the most part it sounded like gibberish. Tetsuya gave up and just accepted the gifts.

At home he would catalogue them in a journal until he had a whole shelf filled with them.

They would talk about the human and merman world, both of them hungry for knowledge about the other's life.

Tetsuya shyly asking about the stripes on Taiga's tail and Taiga asking about anything human related which he didn't understand.

After some time though, Taiga-kun stopped bringing him gifts. Tetsuya was mildly disappointed, until he realized that maybe he was trying to distance himself. Maybe it was time that he'd go home for good.

"Taiga-kun?" Tetsuya called out one sunny day when he came to the beach. The merman broke the surface of the water.

"I'm here." He said and Tetsuya felt suddenly more secure.

He sat down on the rocks as Taiga swam up to him. He put his forearms on the hard surface, and Tetsuya saw his sharp scales and hooks there. Taiga-kun was definitely deadly, but for some reason, Tetsuya felt really safe in his presence.

He took a breath.

"I have a...request."

Taiga tilted his head to the side and listened curiously.

If Taiga was about to leave for his lagoon soon, this was his only chance to ask.

"Can...can I swim with you please?"

After he said that, silence fell over both of them.

Taiga's mouth fell open in shock and Tetsuya's eyes widened when he realized.

He forgot.

He completely forgot.

While swimming for mermaids was a way of transportation, it was also something more when they did it _in pairs._ Not even in flocks. _Just pairs_.

It wasn't exactly how humans chose their partners, but the significance was similar.

Tetsuya probably insulted the mermaid. He just hoped it wouldn't kill him in rage.

"I-I mean..."

What happened next was very strange and bizarre and completely not what he expected.

Taiga's tail turned pale and then exploded in colors for a moment under water. His skin flushed then and his gills flared.

And then he dived under water.

He stayed there for a longer moment, that if he wasn't a sea creature, Kuroko would be concerned for him.

Then half of his face appeared and Kuroko realized with a surprise that he was _blushing_.

Kuroko overcame his shock quickly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you I-"

"I thought I'd have to wait till the eclipse for you to say something." The merman mumbled finally and Tetsuya blinked a few times.

"E-excuse me?"

The merman frowned and swam up to Kuroko.

"That means I don't mind. In fact...I-" He cut himself and looked away.

"I thought maybe it wasn't enough for you."

Kuroko blinked again.

"I'm sorry I don't follow?"

The merman sighed and dived suddenly, splashing Kuroko with his tail.

Before he could call after him, Taiga was back and he presented Kuroko with a clam.

"I -."

"Open it." The merman said and put the shell in Kuroko's palm.

The boy did and his eyes widened in shock when he saw not one but _two_ actual pearls.

He looked at Taiga, who was blushing and looking away, his tail swishing nervously under the surface.

Suddenly realization hit Kuroko. Gifts. From mermaid. _Courting_ gifts.

"Thank you." He said breathlessly and closed the clam gently and hid it in his bag.

He hesitated for a moment and then stood up and started taking off his shirt and shorts. He wore swim trunks underneath almost always when he came to the beach and he was glad he decided to do it today too. The merman was watching intently when he undressed and Tetsuya couldn't help but blush under his gaze.

He folded his clothes and moved away, wanting to slip carefully into the water, but he slipped.

He braced himself for the impact, hoping he wouldn't end with a split skull, but he fell into the water and strong arms covered in rough scales wrapped around his waist.

"You humans..." Taiga-kun sighed and Tetsuya coughed for the last time.

He gasped when the merman pulled him closer and he felt the rough skin under his fingertips and could feel how powerful the tail was as it swished languidly in water.

Kuroko blinked the water from his eyes.

"I can swim." He said, but he really didn't want Taiga to let him go.

"I know. I saw. You're really slow." The merman said and grinned with his sharp teeth. "How's your diving?"

"Average." Kuroko said and tentatively touched Taiga's gills. "I can't keep my breath under water for so long as you."

"Hm." The merman hummed. "Then I'll share it."

Kuroko blinked and then felt wet and salty lips on his own.

At first he was in shock, then it turned into acceptance when he closed his eyes and opened his mouth and felt sharp teeth nip his tongue.

And then he gasped when the kiss was broken and he felt his lungs expand.

"That'll do. For a bit." Taiga said and let go of his waist and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go." He said and pulled Tetsuya down under water with him, where they both explored the secrets of the deep blue sea.

 


	2. Sight of the sun

Despite Kuroko’s very low tolerance for the heat and beaming sunrays, he kept being dragged to the beach.

Not that he hated the place on its own, but he’d rather spend the day in a nice and air-conditioned room while reading a book rather than in the sweltering heat.

But Ogiwara-kun was relentless in his pestering and Tetsuya always had a soft spot for his childhood friend so he caved in and agreed.

It was a good thing that they brought a cooler and a parasol and Tetsuya could (seemingly) focus on his book while Ogiwara-kun happily splashed in the water and play games with some of the people he met at work.

He said  _seemingly_ , because for the past forty minutes (or longer, he wasn’t sure) he was rereading the same few sentences over and over again.

He could blame it on the heat, on the noise or on the fact that the book wasn’t interesting but it would be a complete and utter  _lie_  if he did.

He caught a flash of vibrant red hair over the rim of his book and heard a loud laugh and a splash.

The real distraction was tall, well build and  _loud._

He was playing water volleyball with some friends for the past half an hour and it didn’t seem like he was intent on stopping any time soon.

Tetsuya’s hands squeezed around the book tighter and he  _tried_  to refocus on the text.

He read the same sentence again when he looked back to the page.

This wasn’t working.

He bookmarked his novel, put it away and reached into the cooler for a bottle of water, now unashamedly observing the red-headed boy. He could beat himself over it later, because it wasn’t like Tetsuya to ogle (was that what he was doing?) attractive redheads with a bright smiles and booming laughs.

He noticed Ogiwara-kun running to their shared towel. Tetsuya put the bottle away and calmly picked up his book, pretending he resumed his reading and was very engrossed in it so Ogiwara-kun wouldn’t have a reason to drag him into the water.

Aside from the sun and the heat he wouldn’t risk being  _wet and vulnerable and self-conscious in the water_ next to someone who looked like he came out of a modeling ad.

“Hey.” Ogiwara dropped next to Kuroko, all wet and exhausted but smiley. “Gimmel water.”

Kuroko obliged silently, still pretending to be engrossed in his novel.

Ogiwara took big gulps and Tetsuya forced himself not to remind him to slow down because he could choke.

They were silent for a moment, Ogiwara playing with his empty water bottle and humming while Tetsuya read and once in a while looked at him discreetly from the corner of his eye.

He managed to read an  _entire_  page (Ogiwara-kun served as a wonderful distraction from the  _actual_ distraction) and he relaxed his shoulders before he turned a page.

“Hey, come into the water with me. We need another player.”

Kuroko only sighed and shook his head.

“No thank you.” He said and smoothed the page of his book. “Still too hot for me.”

“Yeah I bet.”

Tetsuya looked up at the snort and saw his friend grinning mischievously.

“It is.” He said calmly. “You know I don’t do well when it’s this hot.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t talking about the weather.”

Kuroko tilted his head to the side curiously.

“You’ve been reading the same page for an hour now.” Ogiwara pointed to the book.“

"The story is not particularly interesting.”

“Mhmmmmm.”

“I bet,” He said suddenly leaning closer to Tetsuya. “That that six-pack playing water polo is waaaay more interesting.”

Tetsuya didn’t look at Ogiwara and very pointedly avoided looking at the horizon.

“Hey.” Ogiwara nudged him when he didn’t answer. “I know you’ve been looking at him. It’s fine Kuroko.” He laughed good naturedly. “Come on.”

Tetsuya sighed through his nose, feeling mildly irritated and exposed. Ogiwara-kun seemed to notice all the things which he  _wasn’t_ supposed to notice.

“Kurokoooo.” He whined and nudged him in the side.

And honestly, Tetsuya should have stayed silent and let his friend get bored and go back to the water, but he made a mistake and snapped that he wasn’t looking at  _anyone._

Ogiwara’s grin widened.

“If you say soooo.” He teased and then laid down on the towel closing his eyes.

“I can introduce you if you wanna.” He said absently.

Kuroko turned another page.

“You don’t know him.” What was done was done and Tetsuya couldn’t do much about it anyway. Ogiwara wouldn’t stop until he got bored.

“Hm, but I know one of his friends he plays water polo with.”

Tetsuya looked back to the horizon and spotted the red head with ease. He was talking to a tall, blonde woman who was also catching the attention of almost every male on the beach. Tetsuya breathed softly both in relief and disappointment.

“No thank you.” He said calmly. “I’m not interested. He seemed to be with someone so that would be rude. Plus,” He paused and sighed heavily. “I wasn’t looking at him  _on purpose._  He was simply in my line of vision.”

Ogiwara opened one eye and scrutinized Kuroko for a longer moment before he snorted and sat up.

“Suit yourself.” he stood up, dusted himself out of the sand from his calves and grinded the sun hat Kuroko was wearing harder on his head.

Tetsuya complained and swatted at his hands, but before he could do anything, Ogiwara was running into the water to resume his game.

Tetsuya sighed and returned to his book.

This time he managed to focus for longer than three minutes and he was happy to finally be making progress.

Of course, it was mostly motivated with not wanting to give his friend any more fodder material and he also very pointedly avoided looking at the sea.

It was maybe twenty minutes later when a giant shade obscured the sunlight he used to read.

Kuroko just assumed it was Ogiwara and he decided to ignore him, but then he heard an unfamiliar voice calling his name.

“You are…Kuroko right?”

Tetsuya looked up and up  _and up_ , over the well build, wet torso which was expanding when the person breathed in and out, and then  _finally_  arrived at a face and his eyes turned (just slightly) wider in surprise and his mouth fell open.

The redhead looked at him when he wasn’t answering and blinked.

“Um…you  _are_  Kuroko right?”

“I….yes…excuse me?” Tetsuya furrowed his brow at the nonsense coming out of his mouth. It wasn’t usually that he got caught by surprise.

“Um.” The stranger fidgeted and for some reason that made Tetsuya felt less awkward.

“Can I help you?” He recovered quickly, putting on his polite tone and expressionless face.

“Yeah, no. I mean.” The red head stumbled with his words and rubbed the back of his head. Tetsuya had to hide the tiny smile behind his book. His looks  _completely_  didn’t match with his personality.

It was sort of…adorable.

“I heard your parasol was…uh…something was wrong with it?”

Tetsuya blinked and looked up to look at the orange parasol he sat under. They put it out an hour ago and it was standing like this ever since.

“As you see, it looks completely fine.”

“Oh, uhm yeah. Sorry. I was told you needed some help.”

Tetsuya made a mental note to thank  _whoever_  thought of this  _very_ convincing excuse. 

“No, I am fine.” He felt bad when the red head sort of…winced, when he said that.

“O-okay. See you then.” He turned, ready to leave, but Tetsuya, not believing himself, called out after him.

“Ah, it’s not good to spend so much time under the sun without water.”

The redhead gave him a confused stare.

Tetsuya put his book away and took out a bottle of water from their cooler and presented it to the boy.

“Oh, un. Thanks.” He took the bottle and when Tetsuya, very  _unsubtly,_  moved to the side on his blanket he sat down next to him.

Silence stretched as the redheaded drank his water and Tetsuya observed the swimming people and managed to spot Ogiwara-kun waving and flashing him a toothy grin. He will  _never_  hear the end of it.

“How do you know my name?” He decided to ask the obvious question first.

“Ah, uh you’d friend…told me.”

“He also told you about the ‘broken parasol’?”

“…yeah.”

Tetsuya looked curiously at the boy who played with the bottle cap.

“How do you know Ogiwara-kun…”

“Oh, um Kagami Taiga.” He said and made a move as if he wanted to shake hands but stopped. Interesting. Tetsuya nodded.

“Uh, I don’t? But he knows Furi, I mean my friend. They work together at the sports store.” He explained.

“I see.” Tetsuya nodded again.

Silence.

Tetsuya sighed and sat more comfortably on the blanket.

“I do not want to be rude and chase you away, but…I think your girlfriend will be angry Kagami-kun.”

To his surprise Kagami-kun choked on the water.

“My  _what?”_  He sputtered.

“The blonde lady you came with? Or if she your wife? I’m sorry.” Tetsuya sneaked a quick glance at the ring dangling from a chain Kagami-kun had on his neck. And it was the  _only_ thing he looked at.  _Only._

“W-wife?” This time Kagami-kun snickered. “Where did you get that?” He laughed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He really had a nice laugh.

Kuroko blinked.

“Well. You came together, you’re obviously close and you have a ring on your chain.” Tetsuya explained.

“I mean. I noticed.” He added after a moment.

“Hn.” Kagami-kun sighed, but he didn’t look put off. He touched his ring.

“That’s….something else.” He said. “But Alex is  _not_ my wife or girlfriend. I  _swear.”_  

Tetsuya raised an eyebrow at this.

“She’s…more like my aunt? Sometimes a big sister. Sometimes she acts like a younger though….” He trailed off.

“Point being. She looks way younger than she is. And she’s  _not_  my girlfriend.”

“Kagami-kun.”

“Hm?”

“I understood this the first time. You repeated it three.”

Kagami-kun’s mouth dropped and then he turned red.

“I don’t like when people assume…” He grumbled but didn’t finish.

Kuroko couldn’t help but laugh.

Kagami-kun glared at him at first but then grinned. It was very bright.

Tetsuya looked over the horizon and saw Ogiwara-kun and Kagami-kun’s friends playing water polo but not doing a good job now that Kagami-kun was out.

“I think your team needs you.”

Kagami-kun hummed. He closed his eyes and sighed, before standing up. Tetsuya was already reaching for his book when he spoke again.

“I uh… I made up the parasol thing.”

He blinked.

“I…uh, this is stupid but I saw you two days ago at the store?”

Tetsuya opened his mouth but he didn’t manage to say more because Kagami-kun started rambling.

“And uh, then Furi said you were Ogiwara’s friend and he said he could introduce me but I said no because that would be weird, right?

“But you thought making up an excuse about a parasol which wasn’t broken would be less weird?”

Kagami-kun grimaced.

“S-shut up! Let me finish. Anyway, I saw you on the beach yesterday and uh…yeah.”

“I didn’t saw you?” Kuroko said immediately.

“I was here only for a moment because I was dropping off Alex and Tatsuya. Tatsuya’s my brother. Just so we’re clear.”

“We are. Why are you explaining yourself to me?”

Kagami fell silent for a moment and then fidgeted again. It made him look like a lost child even though he could probably lift Tetsuya up with one hand.

“Do you wanna get some ice cream?”

“I….what?” Tetsuya blinked, confused by the sudden change of topic.

“ _Ice cream_.” Kagami-kun replied and frowned. “With  _me_.” He repeated and held out his hand to Kuroko.

Tetsuya was speechless for a long moment and then he jerked when he heard Ogiwara-kun’s screech.

“ _JUST SAY YEEEEEEEEEEES.”_

Kagami-kun must have also heard it (it was impossible  _not_  to) because he turned crimson.

Tetsuya wanted to protest but then he was hit with the realization that he didn’t have a reason to decline the invitation.

He could find a way to get back at Ogiwara later. Maybe Kagami-kun would be willing to help.

“Milkshake.” He said and took Kagami’s hand who pulled him up from the blanket.

He stumbled and fell face first in a wall of muscle.

“What?”  Kagami asked as he circled an arm around his waist to steady him.

“I want a milkshake.” Kuroko said with a pout and then looked up at Kagami. “And that’s very bold.”

Kagami sputtered and let him go as if he was on fire, but Kuroko managed to grab his hand, surprising even himself.

They heard a yell which sounded like ‘ _FINALLY’_ and then a splash.

Neither looked in that direction.

“Your friend is…”

“ _Please_ , let’s not talk about him.”

Kagami closed his mouth and nodded. He was still blushing. Tetsuya was glad his skin was fair and he didn’t blush often. His face  _did_ feel warm, but he hoped he could play it off as a sunburn.

“I want my milkshake, Kagami-kun.” He said and squeezed his hand.

Kagami didn’t say anything for a moment, and then just smiled and pulled him away from the beach.

Oh yes. He wouldn’t hear the  _end_  of it.

But so, would Ogiwara-kun. 


	3. Once a day

The wheels rattled over the brick pavement when Taiga pushed the older man in the chair to take him to his examination. It wasn’t very practical, but it was a nice day and the doctor ordered the patient to take in as much fresh air as he could.

So Taiga was now taking the man to the other side of the building, all trough the adjacent hospital park, all while he could just wheel him there in five minutes.

But, doctor’s orders.

Taiga gulped when he saw the west wing come into view and then he nervously licked his lips.

He remembered the first time he took the route through the park, some three weeks ago, just because. It was also the first time he came across the weird ghostly kid, whom he thought was an  _actual_  ghost.

He was feeding the park squirrels and waiting for a nurse to pick him up for his check up.

So yeah, after yelling at him for scaring the living daylights out of Taiga and then, when he learned that he wasn’t the stuff of nightmares, after he yelled at him for being out just in his pajamas and a robe, he merely titled his head and gave him an amused smile.

Kagami wasn’t able to say more because Takao arrived in this moment with a wheel chair and after some lame quips abut Disney princesses they disappeared in the west wing, because  _doctor Midorima hates tardy patients_.

Kagami didn’t saw the patient again in the park even though the weather turned from the early April chill to mid spring heat.

He wondered if Kuroko left the hospital, but then, last Thursday when he had to take Kiyoshi to his x-ray he saw a flash of blue, up, up on the seventh floor of the building where he was reading a book by the window.

And feeding doves.

Okay so he hasn’t left.

He never saw the boy in the park again and he was taking every opportunity to pass there. He only caught glimpses of him sometimes by that window.

Taiga wondered what he was here for.

He didn’t wanna snoop in the papers or ask Takao and didn’t even  _dream_  of asking Midorima. And just…yelling at him while he read was kind of….weird.

And stalkerish.

Today he saw him as well.

He left Kiyoshi at the x-ray and was told that someone else would wheel him back, and he should go back to the east wing.

Taiga shrugged and took the wheelchair back.

Again, it was becoming a habit, he glanced back and then almost tripped when he saw the blue haired boy was sitting at the window, but not reading.

It looked like he was  _waiting_  for him.

When he saw that he had Taiga’s attention he smiled.

Kagami blushed in humiliation when he understood that he was caught red-handed, even though he hasn’t done anything bad.

He looked away and gripped the handles of the wheelchair.

Then a white piece of paper in a shape of a plane landed directly in the middle of the seat.

Kagami looked up and saw and the boy gave him a small wave.

_Sure, mock me all you want._  He thought irked and picked up the paper plane.

Something made him pause before he’d throw it into the trashcan and he unfolded it.

And gaped.

In the middle of the piece it read  _My name is Kuroko Tetsuya and I am in room 117._

Kagami crumpled the paper and wanted to throw it to the trash bin but then he stopped and shoved it into his overall, grabbed the wheelchair and bolted.

He thought he heard a laugh behind him, but that could have been his imagination too.

It didn’t stop him for visiting room 117 by the end of his shift anyway.


	4. Waverider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for #mermay and for the kgkr discord!

The waves were good today.

Kagami was pretty pleased with his surfing routine and decided he would be coming back to the shore for now.

He swam the last few feet and then picked up his surfboard when his feet touched the wet sand of the beach.

Kagami liked this beach. It was always empty, as if humankind completely forgot about its existence.

He enjoyed the serenity and the calm of the ocean.

He wiped his face from the salt water dripping from his hair and then froze when he suddenly heard a voice.

It was faint and it sounded kind of melodic. But it was definitely calling for help.

Kagami’s instinct kicked in and he ran in the direction of the voice. He didn’t need to run far to find the source but when he did, he didn’t immediately ran up to offering his help to the person in need, but instead stopped in his tracks and stared.

He saw pale skin and a human (a young boys around late teens maybe a bit younger looking than Taiga) torso naked down to the waits.

And that was all which was human. Everything else: the cerulean hair, sky blue eyes with slits and membrane, the frantically expanding gills and blue fins on the ears as well as the melodic voice which sounded almost like birds’ chirping but not quite, were all definitely  _not_ human.

That and the long, blue, scaled tail. How could he forget about the tail? It was one of the most beautiful things he ever saw.

It was a mermaid.

From the looks of it, it was young, even for mermaids. The most troubling question was what was it was doing on the shore in the first place?

The creature stopped chirping in its own alien tongue. It looked at Taiga and took a strained breath.

“Help.” It wheezed in Japanese and Taiga finally snapped.

“Oh shit. I mean, yes, yes I’m here.” He dropped to his knees, the surfboard rattled on the ground when he dropped it. He hesitated for a moment, because it hit him that he didn’t know what to do with a stranded mermaid in need.

He touched its shoulders, and felt it shaking.

The pale skin turned out to have a faint layer of pale blue scaly pattern which flickered under the sun, changing colors from the palest of blue to azure.

“Water.” It rasped, the eye membrane flicking along its eyes and Taiga startled at the image.

“I’ll be right back.” He said and jumped to his feet. He grabbed the surfboard and ran off to the place where he left his towel and stuff. He grabbed a bottle of water from his bag and ran back to the place where he left the mermaid.

It was there, laying in the wet sand and tail flipping pitifully, but it looked to him when he called out.

Taiga dropped to his knees again and uncapped the bottle. He supported the back of the mermaid’s head with his hand and pressed the bottle of water to his lips gently.

“Here. I got you. Drink.”

It did. Swallowing greedily, never once coughing. Taiga saw how its gills worked frantically, until the bottle was empty.

Kagami supported the mermaid’s head as it took time to regain some of its strength.  

He tried to subtly check for any injuries, but he also didn’t want to seem too intrusive and touch it too much. That and he didn’t want to lose his hands. He didn’t saw any claws or sharp teeth, but one couldn’t be sure.

The mermaid’s breathing calmed down and the gills started fluttering normally. At least for now. Taiga didn’t have more water.

“Okay.” He said after a moment. He hoped the creature understood more than just two words of his language. “I’m-Are you okay?”

The mermaid opened its eyes and Taiga was startled for a moment because of how inhuman they looked, but also drawn in, because of how the whole ocean seemed to be reflected inside them.

“Hey.” He said and gently shook his arm. “Do you understand me?”

The mermaid blinked a few times and then sighed.

“Waverider.”

“What?” Taiga was confused. 

The mermaid grunted pushed itself up and sat in its tail as much as he could. He looked Taiga straight in the eye, but didn’t blink this time.

“Waverider. I saw you.”

Taiga gaped at this strange creature that seemed to be talking nonsense. Maybe it was still dehydrated.

“You saw me what?”

The mermaid sighed.

“I saw you ride the waves. Waverider.”

Oh. He finally realized.

“You saw me surf.”

The mermaid cocked its head to the side.

“Or ride the waves yeah. Whatever.” Taiga shrugged, feeling strangely self-conscious. He thought the beach was deserted. He didn’t think he’d have a  _mermaid_ as an audience of all the people.  

The mermaid looked at him curiously for a long moment and then it smiled.

“Thank you for the water.” The blue tail slapped a few times against the sand. “Although, in a way, it is also your fault that I am stranded here. If you didn’t ride the waves so beautifully I wouldn’t get distracted.”

Taiga flushed suddenly and sputtered at the strange mix of a compliment and an accusation.

“That’s your own fault dumbass!”

The mermaid chuckled, its voice chirping and Taiga realized there really wasn’t a bird this sound could be compared to.

Taiga blushed and glared at the creature, but he was more annoyed than angry.

The chuckles died down and the mermaid turned its head to the shore and sighed.

“I hope I can catch the tide.” He said and looked back at Taiga. “It will take a while.” He flipped its tail. “Maybe even the rest of the day and the night. It can be dangerous.”

Taiga frowned.

“You don’t just expect me to leave you here like this?”

The mermaid blinked at him.

“Yes?”

“Not a chance. Come on.” He moved closer to the creature and urged its hands around his shoulders. “Hold on to me.” He said and slipped his arm under the blue tail and pushed himself up.

He grunted because it was such an unfamiliar weight and he swayed for a moment, but once he planted his feet firmly on the wet sand and adjusted the mermaid in his arms he could manage.

Even if it weighted more than it looked like.

Slowly, he made his way to the water. He could feel the mermaid’s eyes on him and he faltered for a moment.

“What?” He asked and sneaked a glance at the creature which unmoving eyes bore into his face.

“You are strong. Waverider.” He said and Kagami could feel how it pressed his fingers into his shoulders. “I am surprised.”

“I work out.” He said, trying to focus on the nearing shore.

“Work out?” The mermaid cocked its head in confusion.

“Uh I mean I do sport, like.” He faltered when he felt the water lick his feet. “I mean I…uh.”

“You ride the waves and they give you strength.” The creature’s eyes flicked. “I understand.”

“My name is  _Taiga_.” He said finally. He stopped where the water reached his knees. “Stop calling me that.”

The mermaid blinked with the membrane over its eyes and Kagami could feel the fingers tangle in his hair.

“Tetsuya.” He said. “Please go a little deeper.”

Kagami grunted and moved. The deeper he got the harder was it to move.

“Taiga the waverider.” The mermaid said and Kagami sputtered.

“I said stop calling me-” A wave hit him suddenly when the water reached his neck and he suddenly got pulled under. He felt a hand grab his arm and something suddenly pulled him to the surface. It wasn’t anything dangerous, Taiga could swim for hours and had great endurance, but it took him by surprise while he was bickering with Tetsuya and his lungs filled with salty water.

When he stopped coughing it, the mermaid was nowhere to be found. It simply disappeared like sea foam or the wind.

Still, Taiga could hear the strange whisper in his ear which sounded like ‘waverider”.

 

* * *

 

Taiga swam up to his surfboard and he pulled himself on his hands to sit astride it.

He wiped his face and sighed.

The beach was empty again also on this day. The weather was getting a bit colder, but the sun on his back still warmed the wetsuit and the skin underneath.

Still, the only audience he had today were the seagulls.

It was a week since he helped Tetsuya get back home. Logically he didn’t expect for the mermaid to come back. Why would he even? He got stranded because he was apparently watching Taiga ‘ride the waves’ as he called it.

Kagami lay down on the board and moved his arms swimming aimlessly. The waves were smaller today and the current was weaker. The ocean was calm, and Tetsuya wouldn’t get stranded on the beach. And even if he did he’d be here to help him. Again.

Taiga closed his eye and snorted to himself.

He was ridiculous. Was he under the mermaid spell? But that was just a fairytale.

He sighed and opened his eyes and looked down into the water.

Two, inhuman slitted eyes stared back at him from under the surface of the calm water.

Taiga froze and then he screamed. He wanted to sit up, but his leg slipped and he fell in the water, getting lungs full of salt water  _again._  

“What the hell!” He screamed when he resurfaced. Tetsuya leaned over his surfboard with an enigmatic smile and waited patiently for Kagami to get his breathing under control.

“Hello Taiga the Waverider.”

Kagami coughed for the last time and blushed. He swam up to the board and pulled himself up again and sat astride it again. The movement pushed Tetsuya away, but he didn’t comment.

“I told you to stop calling me that.” Kagami said and sniffed.

“But that’s what you are.” Kuroko said and swam up to Kagami, his blue tail moving under the surface.

His eyes shone strangely when he was in the water and he looked…playful.

Taiga didn’t know if this was good or not.

“What are you doing here?” He asked when Tetsuya was simply looking at him. “Don’t tell me you got stranded again.”

“No. As you can see.” He said and smirked. “This time I was prepared and didn’t get distracted.”

Taiga blushed and looked away.

“Well then why are you here? Don’t you have some mermaid business to attend?”

Tetsuya laughed melodically and Taiga bit his lip at the pretty sound.

“No. No mermaid business for now. I came to give you something.”

“Huh?” Taiga looked back at the creature in the water. “Give me what?”

“A reward for helping me.” He said with a smile and reached his arms in Taiga’s direction.

“Huh? Well thanks I gue-”

He was cut off when Tetsuya’s face was already so close to his and his wet lips were cool against Kagami’s when he kissed him.

And thankfully there were  _no_  sharp teeth involved.

Kagami let Tetsuya kiss him, too stunned to do anything else.

“And a little punishment.” Tetsuya said when he pulled away. Taiga blinked confused.

“For what?” He asked, but then Tetsuya kissed him again and before he could react he was already toppling back into the water when his surfboard was slipped suddenly.

Taiga resurfaced again coughing.

“You asshole!” He shouted. “What was that for?”

“Guess.” He turned sharply when something breathed softly in his ear, but there was nothing but the wind.

Kagami sighed and swam up to his board and put his arms and head on the surface, not bothering to get up and sit again.

He let it drift aimlessly for a while, and then hit his forehead against it with a thud.

He had a feeling he’d see Tetsuya around.  


End file.
